These Opinions Might Be Overrated

 

Before seeing the summer action movie “Man of Steel” I figured it had to be underrated with a published review of 1.5 out of 4 stars. After seeing it, however, 1.5 stars made it overrated.

 

Speaking of “Superman,” Dwight Howard has been overrated his entire career.

 

Adam West remains underrated as Batman.

 

Americans gave Congress a 15-pecent approval rating in the most recent Gallup poll. In other words, Congress remains overrated.

 

Teachers are underrated and CEOs are overrated.

 

Streaking (running every day) is underrated; streaking (running naked) is overrated.

Twinkies were slightly underrated until they recently became extinct and were suddenly wildly overrated. Now Twinkies are back, at a slimmed-down 135 calories per cake instead of 150 calories, and their rating has rightly shrunk again.

 

Farmer’s markets are underrated.

 

Donald Trump may be the most overrated person on earth. His hair cannot possibly be underrated.

 

Watermelon is overrated and bananas are underrated.

 

The dangers firefighters and police face are underrated by most of us.

 

In-N-Out Burger is overrated by its fans (guilty as charged) but underrated by everyone else who favors any other hamburger-fries-and-shakes fast-food chain.

 

The U.S. Postal Service is underrated.

 

            Handwritten letters and cards cannot be overrated.

 

Post-it Notes are underrated.

 

Everything about Florida is overrated – except, it pains me to admit, LeBron James.

 

Florida’s juries, courts and judges cannot be underrated.

 

The iPhone is overrated as a phone, but underrated as a computer (as are all smartphones) when you consider these hand-held devices are said to be thousands of times faster and more powerful than the Apollo guidance system that landed men on the moon.

 

Everything about Apollo 11 was underrated.

 

Prosecutors in high-profile murder cases tend to come out looking overrated after the verdict.

 

The importance of a jury selection cannot be overrated.

 

Butterflies and birds are underrated.

 

Having a good mechanic, plumber or handyman is underrated.

 

Newspapers are underrated.

 

The value of having music and art education in our schools is underrated.

 

The long lines and hassles of airport security screening is overrated while the speed and relative ease – and general affordability – of traveling anywhere in the United States in a few hours is underrated.

 

Comfortable shoes are underrated until you are wearing vises on your feet.

 

Before one sees the Grand Canyon in person it cannot help but be overrated; standing on its rim, however, it is impossible to underrate its awe-inspiring grandeur and breathtaking beauty.

 

Yosemite Valley is probably underrated.

 

The Channel Islands are definitely underrated.

 

Taking hundreds of pictures and hours of video on vacation is overrated, even at the Grand Canyon, Channel Islands and Yosemite Valley.

 

Twitter is overrated.

 

Facebook is overrated . . . until you locate a long-lost friend or make some new ones you never would have otherwise.

 

The importance that race plays in America is underrated by too many, including on the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Novacaine cannot be overrated if you are sitting in a dentist’s chair getting a filling.

 

Local microbrews and wines are underrated.

 

Dogs are underrated even by people who overrate everything.

 

Even if you try to fully appreciate it, good health is underrated until you are ill or injured.

 

Teenagers overrate the calamity of having a few pimples.

 

Older people overrate the calamity a few gray hairs.

 

Local charities that humbly do tremendous work – such as Project Understanding, Casa Pacifica and Caregivers Assisting the Elderly to name just three very worthy ones – are underrated.

 

The Royal Baby Watch is overrated.

 

The “good ol’ days” are overrated and today’s youth are too often underrated by those who were youths back in the “good ol’ days.”

 

John Steinbeck’s novel “Sweet Thursday” is underrated.

 

* The Great Gatsby is overrated. (* the movie, not the book)

 

            * To Kill A Mockingbird is underrated (* movie and book)

 

Intelligence is often overrated but the importance of education is underrated.

 

Common sense is underrated.

 

Public libraries are underrated.

 

A good friendship cannot be overrated.

 

A friendly smile is underrated by the person sharing it with someone else.

 

Pizza is underrated. Period.

 

Chocolate, too. Period.

*

Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for the Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com or through his website www.WoodyWoodburn.com